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Recoleta Cemetery is open 365 days per year from 07:00 to 18:00. Admission is free.

Post titles followed by a diamond ◊ are included in our PDF guide to Recoleta Cemetery.

pdf guide

Visit the top places to rest in peace in Buenos Aires while learning about lifestyles of the rich & (in)famous.

Recoleta Cemetery often ranks as the main attraction in Buenos Aires & with good reason. Its list of occupants reads like a Who’s Who of Argentine history & society. The elite, aspiring middle class, friends, enemies & those who contributed to the general welfare of Argentina all share space in a miniature city of mausoleums & monuments. But it wasn’t always so grandiose…

Imagine Buenos Aires 200 years ago before growing into the metropolis it is today. 55,000 inhabitants lived without paved streets, green areas or basic public services. To improve city sanitation, burials inside or near churches were prohibited, & this cemetery—the first public burial ground in Buenos Aires—opened in 1822.

Recoleta Cemetery has changed as much as the city itself, & although unpopular at first the elite eventually adopted it as their own. Ornate family tombs reflect wealth & social status. Stroll past Presidents & politicians (some naughty, some nice), Nobel Prize winners, literary greats, entertainers, scientists, military leaders, sports figures & even some who died tragically.

Of course this guide includes the cemetery’s most famous resident. Eva María Duarte de Perón—simply Evita to her devotées—had a bizarre post-mortem journey which is described at length. Many other important tombs are included such as Rufina Cambacérès, Luis Ángel Firpo, & David Spinetto. The mix of architecture, historical figures & urban legends may make you want to stay permanently!

Topics discussed in the guide include the foundation of Recoleta Cemetery, details of its current operation, symbolism inside, plus the most accurate map available. Robert is proud to have guided more than 1,500 people through Recoleta Cemetery… he feels that no better place exists to learn about the glories & defeats of Argentina’s past while also reflecting on the future. Robert has even appeared on television, guiding for the GlobeTrekker television series!

Note: Our sister website, Endless Mile, contains many blog posts about Buenos Aires as well as additional guides to the city (Plaza de Mayo, Once & Art Nouveau). If you enjoy the Recoleta Cemetery guide, then be sure to check out our others!